“That’s why I’m calling. What about a prison liaison? Someone to help you in that department? An advocate for the jail, on a paid basis, of course.”
“Let me think about it. I’ll get back to you. They would have to guarantee a result if I paid them. I only have a small kitty of funds.”
“Have a think about it and let me know.”
I was thinking I might be able to get a job and a pay raise for Lucy to help her with the situation with her mother. I sighed as I applied my makeup. I was just about ready to go when I saw Hector’s phone number.
“Hey, little bro! How are you?”
“I’m good. My head is spinning, though. I’m learning a lot at the repair shop.”
“Okay, that’s good news. Please tell me you’re not shipping any illegal parts or anything like that.”
“You have to trust Colt. He put his life on the line for me that night. Man, that guy would have killed us.” He stopped short like he’d revealed too much.
“What…what did you say?”
“Nothing, Amber. Just leave it alone. It’s done now. Diego is legit. Colt is legit. You don’t have any reason not to trust him.”
My belly was burning. I knew he wasn’t telling me something. In a way, I wanted to know, and in another, I didn’t. I eased out a breath and decided to let it go.
I drove over to Colt’s and rapped on the door. As soon as I saw his face, I melted into mush.
“Hi.”
One look is all it took with him. He scooped me up and into him. He planted a kiss on me that made me lift one foot off the ground, just like the movies.
“Baby. You mad at me?” His soulful eyes searched mine for the answers.
“A little, but I think I might be getting over it quickly.”
He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “Come in, it’s chilly out there.”
“A little.”
Bella ran into the room when she heard me open the door. She beamed like the ray of sunshine she was.
“Hi, Bella. How are you?”
She placed her hand in mine and led me to the kitchen table. Colt watched as we interacted.
“Glass of wine? I’m cooking tonight,” Colt said.
“Wow. You are? What’s on the menu?”
He grinned a little. “Well, we’ll keep it kid-friendly. Uh. Don’t get too excited. It’s an easy meal. Homemade pizza.”
“That sounds delicious. My favorite kind. Do you want any help?”
“You can pick your toppings if you want. Both you and Bella.”
Colt had a plethora of options in little bowls on the open island bench. Mushrooms, bell peppers, pepperoni, ham, pineapple, cheese, chicken pieces, chilies, and a few others.
“I’m going to have the chicken, BBQ sauce, and mushrooms,” Bella said proudly.
“Is that all you want on your pizza?” Colt asked.
“Yes. That’s all I want. I love BBQ sauce,” Bella replied. Her mind was made up.
“Okay then, little trooper. Simple pizza for you, coming up.”
Colt wrapped his well-toned arm around me and kissed my lips softly. The bristles of his lightly stubbled chin tickled my face.
“I’m going to have ham, pineapple, mushrooms, and bell peppers,” I confirmed with a smile.
“Okay, we got a loaded pizza. I’m going to have a pepperoni pizza. I’m a simple man.”
It was nice to see this sexy hunk of a man performing the most domestic duties. I found it to be a huge turn-on.
“Okay, you have to leave the kitchen. You have to get out of here.” Colt swiped the dish towel at Bella and me.
“Okay, okay. I’m leaving, Chef.” I conceded with my hands up.
He laughed, and so did Bella and I. It was these little blissful moments that led me to believe maybe we would be okay.
“Bella, can I ask you something?” I thought with the subject I was about to broach, it was best to just rip the Band-Aid off. “How do you feel about your father and me being friends?”
Her warm eyes looked at me for a while, and she smiled a little. “I like it. Daddy is happy when you’re here, and you like horses, so it’s fine by me. Grandma told me that you would be a good woman for Daddy.”
Shocked and delighted at the admission, I found the conversation proved to be less painful than I had thought. Bella skipped off to her room, and I realized that Colt had heard every word.
“She loves you like I do,” he said. “I’m glad you asked her, though. I’m not that good at that stuff sometimes.”
I matched Colt’s penetrating gaze. “You’re better at it than you think you are. Sorry that I snapped about Hector earlier. It just took so much to get him out of trouble that I don’t want him getting in it again.”
“No need to apologize. I get it. We can work things out. In fact, I want to run something by you. I think I want to start a riding stable here. I think I want to teach people to ride. I might get a couple of older horses.”
“Colt! That’s a magnificent idea. Where did you come up with it?”
Colt had finished with the pizzas and put them in the oven. Now we were just waiting. I sipped my wine and relaxed a little.
“Bella. She has a way with the horses that I’ve never seen before. I want to live a clean life, and I decided not to take up the offer at the repair shop. I know Hector’s there, but it’s not the same as me being there.”
“Okay. So you were willing to put my brother on the line and have him looked at?”
“Whoa. No. I offered Hector a job here on the farm, but when I saw him with Diego, I knew it was where he belonged. I belong on the land, Amber. I used to work with horses in my younger days.” Colt pointed to the shelves. “You’ve seen the pictures.”
I sighed. “Yes, I have. And I know you’re right. Hector has loved bikes since he was a little boy. I do know this.” I drank a little more.
Colt crossed the room in big strides. “This goes back to trust. I would never put Hector in danger intentionally.”
“Forgive me. It’s going to take me a little time to adjust, is all. I believe you, Colt.”
Twenty-Five
Colt
Once my mind was made up, it was made up. I stood in the middle of the paddock next to the house. In ankle-length grass, I squatted down to feel the soil underneath. Hard California dirt. I had a ride-on mower, so I could cut it low in no time. The trick was how I was going to turn it into an arena. I needed local government permits to run a stable. That would be easy enough. My mind was sifting through what the next steps were.
“What do you think, son?” My father was standing beside me in a rare appearance. He’d become a couch potato over the years.
“It’s going to be a lot of work, that’s what I think. But I have this feeling in my bones that it will work.”
“Son, I think it’s a brilliant idea. That trail right there runs all the way to the mountain, and there are a couple of waterfalls back there, too. Unchartered territory. I’m proud of you. It takes a lot to get me out of the house these days, but this is a challenge I like. I’m going to map out these fence posts. Have you got the requirements yet?”